There are 636 self-catering houses and apartments in Donegal under threat from a new piece of EU legislation.
That’s the warning from the Irish Self Catering Federation, which says the issue is what it describes as the Irish government’s poorly thought out implementation of European Union legislation on short -term rental data collection and sharing which became law last month.
The issue revolves around the inclusion of planning permission to the legislation.
The ISCF says unlike other European countries, Ireland has decided to attach planning permission to this legislation, even though it is not a
requirement of the EU legislation.
This, they say, is a short sighted and ill-advised move by the Irish government, especially given the lack of tourism accommodation available across the country and in particular in rural Ireland. The register for Short Term Rental in Ireland will be managed by Fáilte Ireland and will be mandatory for all who operate in the sector across the country. The federation says, whose members run 6,500 units nation-wide, says that while aspects of the legislation are welcome and will increase standards, the self-catering planning guidelines will prove hugely disruptive and expensive to the sector.
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Media Release
Another Blow to Donegal Tourism and Rural Economies
The Irish Self Catering Federation (ISCF) has said that the tourism industry in
Donegal and nationally is facing “considerable threat” due to the Irish
governmen’s poorly thought out implementation of European Union
legislation on short -term rental data collection and sharing which became law
on May 19.
There are 636 self-catering houses and apartments in Donegal which are under
threat from this new EU legislation.
Each EU member state will be given two years to legislate for a register in their
own country. Unlike other European countries, Ireland has decided to attach
planning permission to this legislation. As planning permission is not a
requirement of the EU legislation, this is a short sighted and ill-advised move
by the Irish government, especially given the lack of tourism accommodation
available across the country and in particular in rural Ireland.
The register for Short Term Rental (STR) in Ireland will be managed by Fáilte
Ireland and will be mandatory for all who operate in the sector across the
country. Máire Ní Mhurchú, CEO of the ISCF, which has 6500 units with
members nation-wide, says that while aspects of the legislation are welcome
and will increase standards she is very concerned at planning
implications. However, Ms Ní Mhurchú has warned that self-catering planning
guidelines, which will be implemented as part of the legislation, will prove
hugely disruptive and expensive to the sector. “We are asking the government
to listen to us, to protect rural tourism and not to put the 7,000 people who
are employed by our members out of a job,” she said. “The cost of this
proposed planning aspect to the legislation, which is posing a considerable
threat to our members, would be unviable to obtain. That is a cost that our
members, many of whom rely on their business for a living for their family,
simply cannot afford,” Ms Ní Mhurchú added.
She also queried if the planning departments of county councils across the
country are ready for a potential deluge of planning applications. “What is
going to happen to the planning process if thousands of self-catering owners
apply for planning permission at the same time? I don’t believe that the
government realizes the implications of this or have thought it through in any
detail. The future of the self-catering industry and that of many thousands of
part and full-time jobs are at risk here. Is this the legacy that this government
wants to leave ahead of the next general election?”, Máire Ní Mhurchú said.
Self-catering is the main accommodation type along the Wild Atlantic Way
which is worth over €3bil per annum. Hotels which would be intrusive on the
landscape and not economically viable in these rural areas. Self-catering
businesses are owned and managed by people who live in the area,
contributing economically to the rural economies.
The Register can all be achieved in 2024 with clear dialogue with the different
agencies involved. Planning is not central to the tourism offering, but has
become the focus to the discussion due to intransigence on behalf of the
Department of Housing and the lack of understanding of the economic value
of self-catering to communities.
The Register for STR is very much needed to quantify the amount of
accommodation available for tourism in an area, and allow for growth of the
industry.
